Toothpaste
Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection
1,450 ppm fluoride, the level UK guidance recommends for adults, at about £1.50. Fluoride is the only ingredient with strong evidence; the rest is texture and flavour.
Worth knowing
- Contains SLS. If you get frequent mouth ulcers, use the step-up pick.
Ingredients
Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate, Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Monofluorophosphate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Sodium Saccharin, Sodium Fluoride, Aroma, Anethole, Beta-Caryophyllene, Carvone, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Limonene, Mentha Piperita Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Menthol, Pinene.
What we ruled out
Fluoride-free 'natural' toothpaste. Removes the ingredient that prevents decay.
Charcoal toothpaste. No evidence it whitens or protects, and it can be abrasive. Many contain little or no fluoride.
Also good
Supermarket own-brand 1,450 ppm toothpaste. Equally effective if the label says 1,450 ppm fluoride.
Sources
- Delivering better oral health: an evidence-based toolkit for prevention, chapter 2 summary tables, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, NHS England (2021)
- 21 CFR 355.10: Anticaries active ingredients, Cornell Legal Information Institute (2026)
- Charcoal and charcoal-based dentifrices: a literature review, Journal of the American Dental Association 148(9):661-670 (2017)